Strap conveyer system



Dec, 26, 1933. B, BEARDSLEY ET AL ,941,144

STRAP CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed Nov. l2, 1929 3 Sheets-Shea?l l y) 11 MI6 INVENT R31 Brace Bear .f/ey, h//I//am Chm/aume,

Dec. 26, 1933. B, BEARDSLEY ET AL 1,94L44 STRAP CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed Nov. l2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS'. Bruce Benny/.s leg,

Bec. 26, 3.933. B BEARDSLEY ET AL LQQLMM STRAP CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed Nov. l2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Maur/ce E. 5MM/1 n ers.

-, UNTED s'rATsfs PATENT "OFFICE 21,941,144,- t s'rnAr conversa SYSTEM' Bruce Beardsley, Brooklyn, and William vC. Chad- 'bcurna Elmhurst, N. Y., and Maurice B. Smith,

East Grange, N. J., assignors to The Western Union Telegraph Company, New York, N.`Y., a corporation of New York f Application November 12, 1929 Serial `No. 406,655

.1o claims. 01. 19e- 165) This invention relates to a conveyer system and morey particularly to a system employing an endless belt for the transportation of flat articles, such as telegrams, letters and the like, in which such papers are carried between two contacting belts or straps traveling in the same direction and usually of -less width than the articles being transported'.

,In the handling of telegrams at acentral `office itis desirable totransfer Ythe telegramblanks from one part of the building, or from one operar` tor or attendant, to another by means of conveydepending upon the servicev to be performed, the

5f length of the conveyer, etc., and the conveyer system of a large office may consist of a number of conveyers of different forms feeding into'y one another. For instance, for vertical Aconveyers and for conveyors of considerable length, it is advantageous to employ an endless double strap system which may receive the telegram blanks from or deliver them to a so-called V-belt conveyer, in which the blanks are carried on edge or .inr a. vertical position within a substantially K V-shaped trough, by means ofa flat horizontal belt.

The present invention is especially concerned with a conveyer of the doublestrap type, but in one of its aspects it relates to the transfer of telegrams, letters and similarl articles from such a double strap conveyer into a conveyer-of the V-troughtype. o Y

In the construction of double strap conveyers for transporting small objects, such as letters d and telegrams, it is desirable'to make the straps as light as is commensurate with the service to be performed and to operate them at a relatively high speed.v lIn long conveyers it is not possible to employ a single strap extending from one end of the system'to the other sincethe power required to drive such ra length of strap may exceed the strengthA of the strap. v It is difcult, moreover, to maintain such a long length of light strapping atl the proper tension'v and for these reasonsit is desirable to employ a number of shorter lengths lin tandem. However, difficulty has been experienced when employing a number of short lengths due to the papers following around one of the straps, where a break or gap occurs between two straps, and thus feeding out of the conveyer or becoming engaged with the driving or idler pulleys at the breakand thus being mutilated or` destroyedi t Y It is one of the objects of the present invention,

i' therefore, to provide in a conveyer having a plu- These conveyers take ak variety of formsv rality of lengths of strap in tandem, means for overcoming these difficulties and to guide the objects being conveyed so that they will be properly transferred from one of such lengths to another thereof. l Y

. Another object is to provide means cooperating with a double strap conveyer, to facilitate the de-` posit of the transported articles from the strap conveyer into a tray or a horizontal belt conveyer such as a `\/trough conveyer.

appear. f v o A In accordance with our invention we provide,

Otherobjects and advantages will hereinafter atv cach break occurring in` a strap conveyer, a

guidamember which engages the-telegrams in advance of the break, straightens them out and maintains them-in astraightened condition as they pass the break so that they are maintained clear of the driving or idler rollers at the break. The guide serves the additional function of di-A -recting the papers past the breakso they cannot feedr around the end vof the strap in which the break occurs. In the case of a double break, that is where breaks occur in both runs of the conveyer at the same point, two of such guiding members are provided, onebeing associated with each At the deuvery end of the system asimuar guide may be provided for maintaining the telel gram blanks clear of the end rollers and to separate the vblanks from the conveyer belt should Y they adhere thereto forany-reason, as by static panying drawings in which:

Figure l isapperspective viewof the delivery end of a strap conveyer provided with means embodying our invention, to facilitate the delivery of the transported article into a V-trough conveyer; v

A Figure 2 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Figure 1;

3 is an end elevation thereof; t Figure 4 is va perspective view of a horizontal or vertical length .of a strap conveyer having aA break in one run thereof; l Y

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a strap conveyer having a double break therein;

ment where changes in direction of the conveyer occur; and

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a modified arrangement of the construction shown in Figure 7.

Referring iirst to Figures 1, 2 and 3, we have shown the delivery end of a double strap conveyer composed of two vertical runs, consisting of two contacting straps l and 11, discharging into a V-trough conveyor designated generally at 12. The telegrarns or other articles being transported are carried bet een the two straps which travel at the same speed in the same direction, one preierably being driven by the other. The straps 10 and l1 may be of a width considerably lessthan that of the articles being conveyed.

Strap 10 passes around a pulley 13 disposed immediately above the V-trough conveyer .and the strap 11 passes around a pulley 14, thereturn lengths 15 and 16, respectively, of these straps returning to the opposite end of the system or to the opposite end of the delivery length thereof. The pulley 414 is spaced away from the strap l0 and the straps are engaged by an idler pulley 17, so as to cause them to diverge slightly at the lower end, to release the telegrarns and permit them to fall freely into the V-trough conveyer 12.

In order to straighten out the telegrarns and remove them from the strap should they adhere thereto for any reason, a pair of guiding and straightening members 18 and 19 are provided, each of said members consisting of a wire bent in the form of a hair pin or inverted V. The apex or bight portion of the guide 18 is disposed adjacent to the rear surface oi the strap l0 with the legs thereof diverging downwardly substantially in the plane of the strap but crossing over from the rear to the frontside thereof. Guide 19 is similarly disposed relative to strap 11. The lower ends of each of the guides are spaced apart sufficiently to permit the telegrams to pass there between and such ends are secured to two horizontal members 20 and 21 by which the guide niembers are supported.

1t will be evident, in the absence of such guides, that the ends of a telegram T, being conveyed by the straps, may become bent around one of the straps, as indicated at 22, so that when it reaches the pulley 13 it may be caught between the pulley and the Vbelt and hence carried around the end of thev pulley and mutilated or deposited outside of the conveyer 12. With the guides 18 and 19 in placa-however, such turned-in portions o the telegrams will engage the diverging legs of the guides and be straightened out so as to clear the pulleys 13 and 14. Due to the divergency of the straps lo and 11 at their-lower ends, the telegrarns will be released therefrom so as to drop freely into the trough oi conveyer- 12, being guid- -ed in their vertical descent partially by the guides 18 and 19. Shouldthe paper tend to adhere to one of the belts it will be pulled away thereirorn by the guides which, as stated, cross over from the plane ci the rear surface oi the straps to beyond the plane ol" the front surface thereof.

The conveyei l2 comprises a substantial J- shaped trough composed of two side plates 23 and 24, bent around at the lower end to forli a substantially rectangular housing or conduit 25, having a bottoni wall. composed of an inverted channel 26. The flat conveyor beit 27 travels through the conduit and is provided intervals with clearing-out straps 2S, which extend up into the trough to engage the telegrarns as they are deposited into the conveyer to carry them therethrough. The telegrarns are conveyed through the conveyer in a vertical position as shown.

A pair of flaring extensions 29 are provided on the trough adjacent to the lower end of the strap conveyer to guide the telegrams into the trough and a number of vertical wires 39 extend from within the aring extensions 29 to adjacent the idler pulley 17, to direct the telegram blanks downwardly into the conveyer 12.

En Figure 4 we have shown a break occurring one run of a horizontal or vertical reach of the conveyor. The lower run 3l is continuous past the break and the upper run 32 on the advance side of the break passes around the pulley 33. The upper run is continued by a second length or" strap 34, passing around a pulley 35. 1n order to prevent the telegrams T from adhering to the belt 32 and passing out between the pulleys 33 and 35 and, on the contrary, hold them in engagement with strap 31 and also to maintain the telegrarns clear oi such pulleys while they pass from the belt 32 to the belt 34, 1 provide the wire guide 35, having its apex disposed in advance of the break vand its leg portions ubstanti'ally in the plane of the straps.

In Figure 5 we have shown a breakoccurring in each of the contacting runs oi the conveyer. 'The straps 3"? and 38 pass around the pulleys 39 and 40 respectively and return parallel to their operating reaches, the conveyor being continuedby `the two straps' 41 and 42, having pulleys 43 and in this'case two guide wires 45 and 46 are provided, one for each-of the contacting runs of the conveyer. The telegraros are Vengaged by thel two guidesand maintained in a straightened condition therebetween as they pass out trombetween pulleys S9, 40 and in between pulleys 43, 44. 1n Figure 6 a break is shown occurring inboth the upper and lower runs, one being disposed slightly in advance of the other. Thefarrangenient of the straightening and guiding wires for each break is the same as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 7 shows the arrangement when a break occurs at a right angle bend. The direction or" travel of the straps is as shown by the arrows. The strap 4'?, comprising the upper run of the conveyor, terminates at the pulley 48, the run being continued by a vertically extending strap 49 disposed around the pulleys 5D and 5l. This run is further continued along the upper horizontal reach by a belt 52 guided about pulley 53. Strap 54 comprising the lower runV of the belt is continuous, passing around the pulley 59, thence vertically in contact with strap 49 and then around a pulley 55 and horizontally in Contact with strap 52. At the breaks occurring atv the pulleys 48 and 5l we provide straightening and guiding wires 56 and 57, which maintain the telegranis clear of the uneys and guide them froms between :the straps 47 and 54, to between the straps 49 and 54 at the lower end, and at the upperend from between the straps 49 and 54 around the pulley 55 and in between the straps 54 and'52. The guiding wires are disposed substantially in the plane oi the straps. By this arrangement the sheets are held, not only away from the opening at the breaks, but in substantially continuous engagement with the strap continuing across the opening so that this conveying action tends to continue to carry the sheet forward 'across the break with undirninished eectiveness.

respectively, Y

Sil

We have shown a modiiied arangernent of the y belt at a right angle bend, in Figure 5.' A break continued horizontally from the pulley 62 by the strap 63 passing around a pulley 64. Theuppe'r Arun is continued from the pulley 59 by a strap 65 guided around pulley 6l and around the pulleys 62 and 64 in contact with straps 60 and 63.

It will be noted that the strap 69 is continuous over al portion Voff the lower horizontal reach and over the vertical reach and the strap 65 is continuous over the vertical reach and a portion of the upper horizontal reach.k

Wire guides 66 and 67 are disposed at the breaks` occurring at the pulleys 59 and 62 respectively. These guides have their apices disposedY in advance of the pulleys 59 and 62, respectively, and the diverging leg portions are bent so as to follow the continuous belt karound the angle. With this construction the telegram blanks pass around each of the bends in contact with the straps 60 or65, being maintained in contact therewith by the guides 66A and 67.

We have described a number of modications for the purpose `of illustrating the invention, and

it is to be understood that numerous other modifications and applications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and we contemplate all such changes within the scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. A strap conveyer fortransportingflat articles, such as telegrams, comprising two opposed strap systems between which said articles are carried, at least one of said systems being composed 0I" a plurality of endless straps disposed end to end, pulleys at the ends of the runs of each of said endless straps and a guide diverging outwardly from each Side of one of the strapsV and disposed approximately in the plane thereof, for straightening said articles and guiding them from one of said straps to the other.

2. A strap conveyer for transporting flat articles, such as telegrams, comprising two opposed strap systems between which said articles are carried, at least one of said systems being com` posedY of a plurality of endless straps disposed end toend, pulleys at the ends of the runs of each of said endless straps and means, other than said straps, for'straightening said articles and guiding them from one of said straps to the other, said'means comprising a V-shaped guide, having its apex disposed in advance of said pulleys andadjacent to the rear surface of the ter- Y minating strap and .having its divergent side portions extendingbeyond said pulleys substan tially in the plane of said strap.

3. Atconveyer for transporting sheet material comprising two strap conveyer systems side by side adapted to grip said sheet material therebetween, each system being composed of one or more endless straps disposed end to end whereby breaks are formed in each of the conveyer sys-` tems and means for preventing said sheet material from feeding out ofthe conveyervat such breaks, comprising a guide engaging the material in advance 'of the break and directing it from the working run of one of said endlessl straps to the working run of the adjacent one, said guide comprising a substantially V-shaped member, having its apex disposed adjacent the rear surface of said strap in advance of said break and having its sides diverging inthe direction-of travel of the strap and extending beyond said break. ff

44;. A conveyer vfor transporting flat articles, such as telegram blanks and the like, comprising two opposed endless vstrapsV in contact with each other and adapted to grip said articles there` between, said' straps diverging at the delivery end to release said articles and a guide member disposed adjacent each of said straps at the point of divergency thereof and extending in the fdik rection of travel'of the belts for directing the articlesfrom said conveyer. A

5. vA conveyer forvtransporting flat articles, such as telegram blanks and the like, comprising two opposed endless straps in contact with each 1,

other and adapted to grip said articles there between, said straps diverging vat the delivery end to release said articles anda guide member disposed adjacent each of said straps at the point of divergence thereof and extending in the direcf tion of travel of the straps for directing said articles from said conveyer and a second con-y veyer kdisposed adjacent the delivery end of said strap conveyer for receiving said articles therefrom.

6. A conveyer comprising two endless strap conveyer systems, said systems being disposed side by side and adapted to grip sheet material there betweemtea'ch of said systems being composed of a number of endless straps arranged end to end,

whereby breaks are produced therein, one of said v systems being continuous across the break in the other' system, and means adjacent to each break,

' separate from said straps but substantially in the plane thereof, for holding the sheets in frictional contact with thestraps of the system continuing across said break.

7. Av conveyer comprising two endless strap conveyer systems, having adjacent parts disposed at anV angle to each other, said systems being arranged side by side and adapted to grip sheet material therebetween with said material extending outwardly beyond the sides thereof, each of said systems being composed of a number of .endless straps arranged end to end, whereby breaks are produced therein, one of said systems being continuous over a part of each of saidv angularly disposed portions and the other systemk having a break at the junction of said angularly disposed portions' and means, separate from said straps but substantially in theplane thereof, for engaging the outwardly extending sides of said material for holding said material while crossing the break formed on Vone system in engagement with the strap of the .systemV continuing across said break.

` 8. A conveyer comprising two endless strap conveyer systems having adjacent parts disposed at. an angle to eachk other,V said systems being arranged side'by side and adapted to grip sheet material therebetween, each of said systems being composed of a number of endless straps arrangedl end to end, whereby breaks are produced therein,

one of said systems being continuous over a portion of each of said angularly disposed parts and-the other system having a break at the junction of said angularly disposed parts, and

' means, separate from said straps, for guiding said material frornone of said angularly disposed parts to the other thereof, said means com'- prising a member having an apex disposed in advance of the break and diverging leg portions, extending around the junctionof said angularly disposed portions of the conveyer in the direction rially greater than the width of said belt and sides diverging in the direction of travel of the belt.

10. A oonveyer for transporting sheet material comprising a belt having a Width materially less than that of the material to be transported, means oo-operating with said belt for conveying said material along one face of the belt with the ends of the material extending outwardly beyond Vthe vsides of the belt, and av guide member extending along the opposite face of said belt Aand diverging outwardly beyond the sides of said belt for engaging said outwardly extending ends of said sheet material.

BRUCE BEARDSLEY. VWILLAM C. CHADBOURNE. MAURICE B. SMITH. 

